In Fate's Hands
by Constantlyconsciouslyaware13
Summary: Kaia Moonchild and Ravyn Teferi, both newcomers to the isle of Morrowind, and both in for one shell of a ride! come, sit by the fireside as you read the tale of the most unusual Nerevarine and her partner as they learn to live in their new world. reviews
1. A New Mission

**Disclaimer:** let's take a look at the website you are currently visiting. Hmm, fanfiction? Yeah, I don't own this.

**A/N:** this is my first Morrowind fic, so we'll just have to see how this goes! Oh yeah, this chapter contains graphic (as graphic as I could stomach making it) rape, some language, and other themes.

Kaia Moonchild

"Of humble birth, he entered the Emperor's service in the lowly status of courier. Dispatched to Balmora in the waning years of the Third Era, he arrived in Morrowind, ignorant of the role he was to play in that nation's history."

- From Hercurnian Baeboris' THE RIDDLE OF THE INCARNATE, IMPARTIALLY CONSIDERED

**_The _Tiamat_, Three days off the coast of Seyda Neen…_**

_"Do you understand what it is that I am asking of you?"_

_She nods, golden cat's eyes staring unwavering at his gilded boots. The master was to be obeyed in all things, good or evil. She knew from experience that it didn't matter how she responded. The master's will would be done._

_"There is no room for error, pet." His heavy hand rested on her head, jeweled fingers playing roughly with the tender ears nestled in her fiery auburn locks. "Should you fail in your mission and return, you will wish that I hadn't had the mercy of allowing your birth! Now, repeat your mission."_

_"I am to kill the Royal Family of Mournhold." Her voice is toneless, as unremarkable as the granite floor upon which she knelt. "When the deed is done, I am to leave a note signed by the Morag Tong guild of Morrowind stating their involvement in the assassinations of King Hlaalu Llethan, Queen Barenziah, and Prince Helseth, as well as any others who impede my path."_

_"Excellent, as always." _

_"My Lord," an aide stepped forward, slippers whispering on the stone floor. "We can only hold the courtiers for so long. Your presence is required at the ball immediately, if you wish your alibi to hold steady. We must take all necessary precautions to assure this deed cannot be traced back to you in any fashion."_

_The master grunted and turned back to his lithe plaything of death. "Should you be caught?"_

_"I return to my contact and return to Cyrodil after ensuring the mage will never speak again. If all else fails, I take my life." _

_"Good, good." The master murmurs, once again toying with her hair. "Mikhail!" out of the darkness, a robed man sidled into the dimly lit room._

_"What is your will, Majesty?" the mage's voice was smooth, oily from the lies spewed from his lips like poison._

_"It is time. Send the girl to our contact in Mournhold." The master turned to leave but paused, leaning back over her prone body. He tilted her chin up to face him with two beefy fingers. "You shall be well rewarded upon your successful return, pretty one."_

_She nodded once more, eyes averted to the side to avoid the look of naked lust and possession sparkling in the Master's eyes. The reward for fulfilling her duties was fulfilling the master's desires, a duty her perfect body accepted willingly, while her broken mind receded from the world in an effort to mend it's splinted visage._

_"Do it." The master ordered as he released her head and swept out of the room, his aides heeling him like the faithful dogs they were._

_"Of course, Highness." The mage bowed and immediately began his spellcasting. A moment later and she was unleashed from the dark cage that hid her from the world, sparkling lights flashing before her eyes as her body was transported across oceans and continents to the capital of Morrowind._

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Waves crashed against the stout timbers of the ocean going frigate _Tiamat,_ and thunder called out to its longtime enemy lightning in a ferocious battle that raged across the dark sky. The cries of the crewman scrambling on deck echoed to the deepest pits of the ship, eventually reaching a damp cell nestled beneath the stern and wheelhouse.

Inside, a woman of indeterminate age huddled into a dog's bed of rags and other trash begged off of her uncaring guards, shivering from both the freezing cold water that sat two inches from the deck and the chaotic dreams that gripped her fevered mind.Rain splattered the deck in a steady staccato in counter point to the sailors' pounding feat, and through it, the prisoner could hear an otherworldly voice whispering in her ear.

_They have taken you from the Imperial City, first by caravan, and then by boat. Your task complete, your destiny now awaits you East; east to Morrowind. Fear not, child, for I am watchful… _That voice -that hollow, majestic voice- both soothed and disrupted her fragile sense of peace as the frigate rocked back and forth on billowing waves.

Hacking coughs filled the silence of the hold, echoing counterpoint to the steady trickle of water sloshing back and forth. She wasn't alone, not by far. The _Tiamat_, though flying the flags of the Empire, was a prison ship headed towards the slave markets of Morrowind.

It was her failure that brought this terrible, familiar fate upon her head, those long months ago. Yet still, troubled by dreams and reality alike, she slept.

**_The _Tiamat_, Two days off the coast of Seyda Neen…_**

_Months had passed since her arrival in Mournhold, and she had yet to accomplish her mission to completion. Prince Hlaalu was an easy man to understand. His loves were limited to his wine, his whores, and his hunting. Each weakness she used to her advantage, and soon Prince Hlaalu joined his forebears in the Royal Mausoleum._

_The murder of the heir to the throne of Morrowind sent shockwaves throughout the citizenry, and for days the entire city was in veritable lockdown as guardsmen raided houses in search of the assassin. She watched the chaos with a cold, uninterested eye in the guise of a common prostitute selling her wares in the market, using her body to deflect any unwarranted attention from her obvious state as a foreigner. She would not fail the master._

_When the chaos had died down weeks after the funeral of the Prince, she began hunting her next mark: King Hlaalu Llethan._

_The rapidly aging king was almost laughably easy to dispose of, as she proved by murdering the old man in his bed. In-between the changing of the guard, a shadow slipped into the Royal Chambers through an unguarded window in the servants' utility hallway, padding on stealthy feet towards the guarded, gilded door._

_The guards stationed outside the King's chambers died without a sound as two accurately thrown daggers buried themselves in the gap between their helms and chain mail. She retrieved her blades carefully and then entered the chambers, eyes glowing faintly in the darkness._

_Her knives made quick work of the King, slipping into his lungs to steal the breath for a scream as his eyes opened in shock, and then across the throat to pay his passage into the afterlife. Her clothing was drenched in blood when the grisly job was finished. Staring down at her from the wall was King Llethan's head, held in place by two long knives through his eyes and another through his open mouth._

_When the assassination was discovered early the next morning, she was already making her way to the country residence of Queen Barenziah and her son Helseth._

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She awoke once the next day, startled into wakefulness through a nightmare raised from her past duties. She gazed down at her lightly furred hands, fingernails more claw like than a normal human's, and could see the blood that stained them black.

It seemed they had yet to clear the storm, or perhaps it was hounding them with a vengeance, for the ship still rocked from the bombardment of wave after wave.

"Dinner time, you scurvy wretches!" the roaring of the guardsman in charge of the prison deck cut through the air, causing her sensitive ears to twitch defensively. All around her, emaciated convicts scrambled to their feet and fought towards the steaming cauldron of gruel that was pushed through the iron door that separated them from the rest of the ship.

She watched this passively from her corner; eyes seemingly blank of any thought or feeling.

"You there!" she turned her head slightly in response as the guard hailed her through the bars nearest her. "Take this, wench." A full loaf of crusty bread landed beside her, tempting her nose with the smell of fresh food.

All around her, ex-cons raised their eyes from their own meal and stared with blatant hunger at the steaming meal resting beside the single woman in their company. One man moved as though to reach for her meal but quickly pulled back as her gaze fell on him. He, as well as many of the other men onboard, had learned his lesson concerning the lifeless girl sitting in her corner. The bodies of three men who had tried to assault her floated miles away in the wake of the ship, necks horribly mangled, bruises distorting their faces.

After a moment, the men resumed eating. She glanced down uninterestedly at the meal given her by the guard, ignoring the rumble of her empty stomach, and then tore it in half. One piece she stowed in a bundle hidden deep in her nest. The other she demolished in a few swift chomps.

Almost immediately, she felt the effects of the treated bread hit her system, fogging her mind and dulling her senses. Each day she was given food laced with sleeping herbs and potions, administered under the orders of her master's men since her return from her failed mission. She took the food dutifully, accepting it as part of her punishment for disappointing the master.

As her cat's eyes closed once more, she heard the tolling, bell-like voice whispering in her ear.

_Trials await you on the mainland, child of darkness, but do not fear. You will find your place in your new world, and you will find yourself as well. Remember, now and always, my eyes watch over you._

The voice faded to the back of her mind, constantly murmuring comforting whispers that warmed the icy void where her heart once lay. Again, she slept.

**_The _Tiamat_, One day off the coast of Seyda Neen…_**

_"So you are the one." Helseth's dark red eyes were locked on hers, seemingly disregarding the naked steel held in her clawed hands. "You, who have unwittingly paved my way to the throne rightfully mine." Somehow, this assassination had gone terribly, terribly wrong._

_She had noticed the strange lack of guards surrounding the Dowager Queen's estate south of Mournhold, the lax security on the manor house and grounds, yet she had ignored the voice in her head that told her it was a trap. Perhaps she wanted to fail, just this once, and finally be released from her duties by her master. Whatever the reason, she made her way into the house without encountering another soul, until walking into the bedrooms and a very wakeful Helseth surrounded by a team of elite guards._

_"Will the abomination speak?" the crown prince continued, unperturbed by the way the assassin had immediately knelt at his feet and lowered her head. She recognized the voice of a master, and it was ingrained into her mind to act as such. "What is your name, girl?"_

_When she didn't respond, a fist crashed against the side of her head with punishing force. Her face snapped to the side with a crack, yet she remained in her kneeling position effortlessly. She had survived much worse than a simple blow while on her knees._

_"No matter," Helseth paced arrogantly in front of her, loving the sense of power it gave him to have this peerless assassin at his mercy. "I know where you came from and who your masters are." He bent down so his face was even with hers and stared straight into her blank eyes. "It wasn't the Morag Tong that ordered the hit on dear Uncle Llethan and my cousin, now was it?"_

_Her eyes remained the same, emotionless in the face of his query._

_"No," he continued, releasing her from his gaze and resuming his pace. "This attempt had no origins in Morrowind. Your style is different from that of the dark hands trained on the continent. I smell the stench of the west on you, my dear. That fat bastard in Cyrodil had a hand in this, but it turned out favorably for my ambitions. But I must thank him in some fashion! It wouldn't be gentlemanly for him to do me such a favor and not return it in turn." He gestured towards his guards and she was immediately hoisted in their firm grip. "Take her to the storeroom and do as you please. I only request that you leave her alive to be returned to her master." The guards grinned wolfishly at the thought of having such a pretty girl, for that's what she was at the time, in their hands to be used at their discretion._

_Her eyes flickered for a moment as she processed what was going to be done to her, but she otherwise remained the same. This punishment would only be one of the first she would have the honor of suffering for her mistakes._

_She ignored her surroundings as the four guardsmen and one mage dragged her willing body to the basement of the elegant household. The group passed an open bedroom door, and inside she could see the graceful form of the Queen Mother. For a moment, red eyes met gold and a flicker of understanding passed between them. The gaze was broken and both parties went on as they were; yet the queen felt a pang of pity for what was about to happen to the teenaged girl-child with the strange ears and tail._

_The assassin was thrown unceremoniously to the rough dirt-floor of the basement, failing to even break her fall, to the men's amusement. For a moment, it seemed as though neither party knew quite what to do. That is, until a rustle of cloth was heard as one of the men dropped his pants, revealing a huge, hairy manhood._

_"Well?" he snarled at the others in his unit, pointing at the girl seated before them like an offering on a platter. "What are you waiting for?" the others shrugged, and, in that instant, a dozen hands began grabbing and pulling at her clothes and hair until she was left bare as she was born on the floor. A fist crashed into her cheek, throwing her onto her back with the force of the strike._

_"Come to papa!" stinky breath washed over her sensitive nose as rough hands tweaked her nipples and groped her breasts. More hands, coming from everywhere it seemed, left bruises on her untainted skin as each fought for a piece of her to claim._

_She nearly choked as a phallus was forced through her lips and touched the back of her throat, the man above her groaning as he pumped in and out. She closed her eyes, the only movement she made as another pair of hands grabbed her hips and pulled her legs apart._

_"I bet you like this, whore!" a strangled whimper emerged from her throat as she felt a man penetrate her roughly, forcing himself as deeply inside her tight body as he could. "Don't you?" he seemed to be fishing for a reply as he jerked in and out of her nether regions, the passage becoming smoother as her fluids mixed with blood._

_Her head was fogged with the painful attention being paid to her body by the four men; the grasping hands pinching her skin and the two phallus's violating her orifices repeatedly until all she could feel was pain. Off to the side, she could see a pair of slippers traditionally worn by mages. He must have felt observing the deed was less awful than participation._

_ She didn't know how long the rape lasted, but she noted the sparks that fell over her body as she hung somewhere between lucidity and unconsciousness. When she next opened her eyes, it was to meet those of her master as he stared down at her with rage filled eyes._

_A single slap sent her back into oblivion, but it was more days yet before she healed from her final punishment at the hands from her master and was shipped off aboard the _Tiamat.

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"Land Ho!" a voice cried out above decks, shouts echoing out into the dawn sky. "Seyda Neen in sight!" the following hours saw the ship in a state of controlled chaos as sailors rushed to finish their duties and assure the captain that everything was shipshape for their landing at the harbor.

Down below, the prisoners were each handcuffed and attached by the neck to a long chain; all but the girl, that is. She watched with uninterested eyes as first one then all of her shipmates were collared together and marched out of the hold.

"Alright you," another guard, the one who fed her the poisoned food, led her out of the cell with a stern hand on her elbow. "It's about time we let you off! We've been hauling your ass around since Cyrodil, and that was months ago!"

She didn't reply, simply nodded and let him direct her out of the interior of the boat and into the sunlight for the first time in months. The bright light stung her sensitive eyes, but she showed no sign of discomfort besides the instinctive narrowing of her almond shaped eyes.

"Go down to the docks," the guard continued as he handed her a haversack and a roll of papers. "The guard there will escort you to the Census and Excise office where you will be further taken care of by the Minister of Immigration." He hesitated for a moment and then added, "Take care."

To his immense surprise, the girl raised her eyes and looked him dead in the face. "Thank you." Her voice was soft and raspy from disuse, but he could here the straining of a soft melody in the depths of it, almost as though something alive were peering from the edges.

Without another word, she walked up to the guard on the dock and in turn followed him to the building that was the gateway to her existence in this new land.

**A/N:** wow, I seriously didn't know I had it in me to write something like that! Well, yeah I did, but I didn't think I'd actually do it! I hope (unlike Never Again where I have received 12 reviews and over 1100 hits) that you review this story and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Kaia


	2. New Stomping Grounds

**Disclaimer:** ditto last chapter

**A/N:** this is the second part of chapter one, and thus it's about my other PC, the Nerevarine. Enjoy!

_**Balmora…**_

_"We, the people's jury of Cyrodil, hereby declare thee, Ravyn Teferi, guilty of all charges including Manslaughter One, Kidnapping One, and Illegal Possession of Narcotics. The recommended punishment is life imprisonment." The altermeri woman sat down with a satisfied smile on her face as the judge's gavel rang out once, twice, three times in conclusion of the court session. The prosecutor turned to the downcast dunmer woman sitting chained to the bench opposite his and grinned mockingly before sweeping out of the courtroom to speak with the media awaiting outside._

_"I'm sorry, Ravyn," a satchel snapped twice as its buckles clicked together, followed by a sigh of regret. _

_The dark haired woman glanced up at her defense lawyer and grinned feebly in reply. "There really wasn't anything more you could have done for me, Sovor. I mean, at least I've only got life in jail, right?"_

"_Sure, Ravyn," Sovor shook his graying head at the irrepressible girl and helped her stand under the weight of her chains. "You take care of yourself now, okay?"_

"_Sure thing." She grinned crookedly at the old man, crimson eyes sparking with laughter completely out of place in such a dire situation. "I'll be the life of the prison!"_

"_Ravyn Teferi, we ask that you come with us now." A pair of imperial guardsmen approached the bench with a clank of armor, interrupting the conversation._

"_Take me away, boys." The dunmer girl held her wrists out for the stiff men to take and allowed them to drag her out of the courtroom and directly to the jail, leaving her defense lawyer behind without another glance._

_Instead of a cell, the guards led Ravyn to a side room containing a single desk, two chairs, and the man who had been appointed her counselor upon her first conviction when she was just a minor._

"_Ah, Miss Teferi." Tirnur Yen peered at the girl over the rim of his glasses, eyes flicking from the spiky shoulder length hair that gave her her name to the dirty clothes that hadn't been changed since her arrest nearly two weeks ago. "It would appear that my hopes for you were completely unfounded since our last visit."_

"_Uh, yeah, you could say that." Ravyn smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head with one hand. "It was just a mistake! I really didn't mean for anyone to die, you know!"_

"_Ravyn," Tirnur sighed and removed his glasses, rubbing tired eyes with his free hand. "You are not a child anymore, something that I have tried to impress upon you since the day we first met. You are an eighteen-year-old woman with an excellent education. Why can you not support yourself? You haven't a job, or a place to stay! What do you have to say for yourself?"_

"_Sorry?" Ravyn shrugged. "I just don't feel like I belong here, Tirnur. Cyrodil has never been my home, so I had to amuse myself in other ways."_

"_Getting a man killed is not 'amusing', Ravyn." Tirnur began sharply, and then calmed himself with another sigh. "It doesn't matter now. The legal system has decided to wash its hands of you, Miss Teferi. You are being deported to Morrowind as of this afternoon, never to return to Cyrodil ever again."_

"_Really?" instead of regret, excitement shone in Ravyn's dunmer eyes. "I'm leaving?"_

"_You will be on a prison ship returning to the mainland to pick up another group of convicts, so I wouldn't worry too much about your safety. You will not be permitted any luggage, so don't protest when you're taken straight to the ship from here."_

"_Aye, sir!" the childish woman saluted her former counselor with a nautical lilt to her voice. _

"_Have a nice life, Ravyn Teferi." Tirnur rose from his seat and shook his charge's outstretched hand wearily. "Please, try not to get yourself killed. Morrowind is a dangerous place for foreigners and natives alike."_

_For once, Ravyn's smile was serious, making her look far older than her simple eighteen years. "I will, Mister Yen. Thank you for trying to straighten me out."_

"_You are very welcome, child." The middle-aged man smiled gently as she made her way out of the tiny office. "Oh, and Ravyn?"_

"_Yes?" she tossed her hair over her shoulder and glanced back. "I've got a ship to catch ya know!"_

"_Stay away from the skooma and moon sugar." It wasn't a request, but a very firm order that he issued to the rebellious girl._

_Ravyn's shoulders stiffened at his words, but she otherwise made no response as the door clicked shut behind her. "All right, boys," she winked at the two guardsmen awaiting her outside the counselor's office. "Take me to my ride!"_

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_So this is Balmora,_ Ravyn thought, slinging her haversack over her shoulder after paying the driver of the silt strider. "Hmph," she snorted derisively, skipping down the stairs from the platform to stand in the middle if a large, empty square. _Doesn't look like much to me!_

Balmora, center of Hlaalu power, wasn't much to look at seeing through the eyes of a seasoned city girl. Short, square shaped adobe-style buildings spread out in a two-mile radius on both sides of the Odai River, some with flags denoting shops and inns, while the majority were plain residencies. On the opposite side of the shopping district, Ravyn could see the grand headquarters of House Hlaalu dwarfing the various mansions and shops surrounding it.

_Now to find something to do…_ She thought. She glanced around, ignoring the sharp gaze of the caravaner on her back, and spotted a fair-haired woman stalking about the central avenue.

"Hey there, pretty lady!" Ravyn slipped an arm around the Nordic woman's shoulders and grinned roguishly into her face. "What do you guys do around here for fun, and where can I find myself a good time?" the woman tensed at the touch and clenched her fists, shoulders shaking in anger.

"Take your filthy hands off of me, outlander!" She jabbed Ravyn in the gut and stalked off, flipping her the bird with both hands as she went.

"Well, someone's got a kwanma up her…" Ravyn muttered as she rubbed her stomach. Shrugging, she dismissed the angry nord and continued on her way to explore her new hometown.

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_I wonder if the guards will ever think of looking on the roof?_ Ravyn mused as she swung her legs idly over the edge of the roof she was sitting on, chewing slowly on an apple. _It's not my fault the shopkeepers are really unobservant here! Besides, it's not like they were using this stuff. _

In the three hours since arriving in Balmora, the slight girl had managed to acquire a new set of clothing complete with cloak and boots, a two long daggers sheathed behind her waist, and a bow and quiver slung over her back, not to mention a hefty pile of gold and a couple of snacks for the road. Unfortunately, one of the heavily armed guards roaming the city had caught her as she slipped a hand into the back pocket of a dunmer man talking with a shopkeeper, and she was forced to make her escape.

"Ah, dammit!" Ravyn groaned aloud as she flopped back on the roof, glaring at the sky with mock ire. "It's all your fault you know," she continued, holding up the package given her by the stiff in the armor back in Seyda Neen. "Why couldn't you have sent me to a real city instead of this dump?" as her angry words trailed off, she noticed her hands had acquired a slight tremor. _Bloody hell._ She padded herself down, checking her pockets until she pulled out her skooma pipe. _Sorry Tirnur,_ she thought regretfully as she stocked the pipe with a mixture of skooma and her favorite, moon sugar. _I've never followed your orders, and I'm not starting now._

She took a long drag of smoke and sighed in contentment as she felt the drug spreading throughout her system. She'd first been introduced to skooma and the like when she was fifteen, just old enough to sneak out of the orphanage she'd been raised in. the drugs weren't necessarily bad for her, she knew, but it was what she did to get them that was dangerous. At first, she'd taken a hit here and there at parties. It was when she found herself stealing and petty thievery that she knew she had a problem, but by then it was too late.

_I knew you would get me in trouble, Ararvy._ Ravyn thought with a slight smile, uncharacteristically serious for such a wild child. _I'm sorry…_ She sat up abruptly and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think back on the past, no matter how pleasant or horrible it had been. She took another hit and felt her mind relax, even as her muscles were flooded with adrenaline,

Suddenly, the wind shifted, and a familiar smell wafted down to her nose. A crackle sounded to the right, and Ravyn's eyes shot open at the sound. She tilted her head back a bit and then smiled sheepishly. "Uh, hello there, officer."

"On your feet, scum!" the dunmer in the Hlaalu guard armor growled down at the girl, sword bared at her naked throat.

"Heh, heh, heh…" She chuckled nervously as she got to her feet, hands held behind her head. "Can't we talk about this? I mean, I just got here and everything!"

"Just because you believe yourself to be better than us doesn't mean you'll be treated any differently, outlander!" the guard sneered derisively. Ravyn flinched away as she saw his hand raised to strike, eyes closing before his fist landed, throwing her back on her side. She curled in on herself as the blows rained down, striking her ribs and back over and over until her head spun with nausea.

"Hey, you there!" a new voice entered the scene, and the beating quickly stopped. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"None of your business, imperial." The guard snarled. "I'm simply disciplining a sticky fingered child."

"Not anymore you're not," the older man replied with quiet dignity. Ravyn felt gentle hands around her shoulders and feet, and then a momentary disorientation as she was lifted into the imperial's arms. "Go on, get out of here before I inform your supervisor of this perversion of justice."

"You haven't heard the end of this, old man!" she heard the clank of metal on metal as the guard stomped away in search of other, less protected victims.

"You certainly got yourself in quite a bit of trouble for a newcomer, young miss." Her savior remarked dryly as he shifted her in her arms. She felt a slight rush of air as he leapt the short distance to the ground and then began walking. "What's your name, kid?"

"Ravyn." She mumbled, struggling to free herself. "Lemme down! I can take care of myself."

"I don't think so, Miss Ravyn," the man chuckled in reply, holding her in a firmer grip. "I've been waiting for you to arrive at my house for hours, and where do I find my new agent? Atop a roof, smoking a skooma pipe as she hides from the city guards."

"Agent?" Ravyn forced her eyes open and found a scraggly old man staring down at her, a slight smile creasing his rugged cheeks. "Who're you anyway?"

"Caius," he replied, "Caius Casades, at your service."

"Oh, well that's nice." Ravyn mumbled before losing unconsciousness for good.

Caius shook his head ruefully and continued on, skirting the unsafe alleyways and backstreets of Balmora as he made his way to his home on the other side of the river Odai. Once inside the small one story home, he set the incredibly light girl down on his bed and settled for a long wait. Set on the desk before him was a tightly sealed package addressed specifically to the dunmer girl, a pile of papers, and a folder containing the older man's orders.

_By the Dragon,_ Caius thought in horror as he read the contents of his folder. _What has the Empire come to, that we control innocent girls with drugs to reach our ends?_ Unsurprisingly, no one answered, and the man was left to his own thoughts for the remainder of the night.

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_Whoa._ Ravyn thought as she cracked open her eyes and then quickly buried her face in the pillow. Sunlight shone brightly through the window, landing right where her face had been. _Did I put too much in again? Or maybe it was bad stock? I did steal if off that grimy khajiit…_ Shaking her head, the dunmer girl sat up in the nest of blankets and covers and yawned widely.

"Ah," a voice said from her left, startling her with the abruptness of his appearance. "So you're awake. Feeling better, I hope?"

"Sure," Ravyn replied slowly as she eyed the imperial sitting at a table on the opposite side of the room. "You're… Caius, right?"

"That's right," Caius replied, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair. "And you're Ravyn, formerly of Cyrodil and recently arrived in Morrowind. How was your first day?"

"Well," Ravyn scratched her head as she thought. "I learned that it's best not to get caught by the guards here! They're a lot more determined than the guys back home, and meaner, if possible."

"That they are," Caius nodded sagely. "Now, I was informed that you had a package for me?"

"Oh," Ravyn reached into her haversack, noting how conveniently placed in had been, and pulled out a plain, nondescript parcel. "This it?"

"Thank you," Caius took the package and looked at it closely before setting it aside.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Ravyn asked, red eyes shining with curiosity as she eyed the contents on the table. "Looks like you got a lot of mail there."

"It's just the usual," he replied, drawing her attention away from the papers as he pulled out a skooma pipe and tucked it full of obviously high-grade product. He took a hit and sighed in contentment as the smoke streamed from his nostrils. "Just one of the benefits of being the Emperor's Blade commander for the island."

"Blades?" Ravyn's eyes followed the stream of smoke from the burning pipe bowl, hands twitching as she felt the urge come upon her. "Those're the Emperor's spies, right?"

"Correct." Caius placed the pipe on the table, withholding a sigh as he saw the way the girl's eyes remained fixed on the object of her desire.

"Do you mind?" Ravyn asked as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her own pipe. She felt another pocket for her stash and then froze. "Where is it?" she demanded, glaring at the older man sitting opposite her. "I had a good month's worth of stuff on me before you showed up!"

"I had to give it to the guard," Caius shrugged in reply. "It was either that or watch you get put in jail for real, kid. But," he passed her his own bottle of skooma. "Here is some of mine."

"Thanks." Ravyn breathed, ignoring the way Caius's eyes sharpened as she put the powder into her pipe and lit it with a tiny fireball spell. "Nifty, huh?" she remarked as she took a long drag, eyes widening as she felt the potency of the drug almost immediately. "Dude," she stared from the pipe to Caius and back. "Where did you get this?"

"I order it from the Summerset Isles," Caius replied, eyes returning to their soft state. "I can supply you, if you like."

"Oh yeah," Ravyn replied, taking another hit. "I don't think I'll be able to go back to anything else after this!"

_That's the plan._ Caius thought. Instead, he smiled and said, "That's wonderful. Now, are you ready to talk business?"

"Sure." A stream of smoke trickled out of Ravyn's nostrils as she leaned back against the wall and let her eyes unfocus, mind completely relaxed but body afire with energy. "Talk away, mister Caius. Oh, here's your bottle back." She tossed the bottle across the room, and immediately set to toying with her knife. She had to do something with the energy!

"Thank you." Caius caught the clumsy throw and set the package aside for later. "Now Ravyn. Ravyn!"

Ravyn stopped fidgeting and snapped to attention. "Yeah?" she replied, straightening in her seat. "What? I'm listening!"

"Ravyn," he sighed. _I shouldn't have given her the heavy stuff till tomorrow. I need her to focus! No matter, she's addicted to what only I can supply her now. That should help keep her in line, if she's as wild as I've been told._ "I need you to focus right now. You'll get time to go out soon, so pay attention!"

"Aye, cap'n," she flicked her fingers in a lazy salute and struggled to keep her eyes from straying. "I'm listening!"

"Good." Caius nodded shortly and continued. "For the next several months or so, I want you to go out and get some experience in Morrowind, got it? You scream foreigner, and that's not a good thing in our line of business. When you've become a little less green, return to me and I'll get you started on your real task, alright?"

"Easy as pie, old man." Ravyn drawled, limbs twitching as she got to her feet. "Go out, see the world, come back for job. Gotcha. Now," her whole body trembled as another surge of adrenaline rushed through her. "Where do I go from here?"

"There's always the fighter's guild across town." Caius replied, grinning in response to the one spreading across Ravyn's face. "I here they're looking for new meat! It'll be the perfect opportunity for you to gain experience with weapons, as well as a perfect way to see the world. There are chapter houses in all the major cities, so you are certain to get enough action."

"Sounds great!" Ravyn replied, bouncing to her feet and hurriedly gathering her equipment.

"Yes, yes," Caius settled a hand on her shoulders and pushed her back down. "It's all well and good, but I think you should work off the skooma before you even attempt speaking to the guild master. Which reminds me." He reached over the tabletop and grabbed one of the sealed packages. "This is three month's worth of skooma, and exactly the same stock as what I just gave you. Now, you will return in three months for a refill, right? You'll receive this later, once I'm certain you won't have a bad reaction to this potent a mix."

"Uhhuh, ok." Ravyn nodded, all but drooling to get her hands on the drug. "Three months exactly, gotcha! But," she hesitated. "How do you want me to work this off?"

"I'd suggest training with a few of my associates, actually. They live two houses down from me, and know all the basics of both weapons and magic. Here," he handed her a pile of gold coins and then let her rise to her feet once more.

"What're their names?" Ravyn pocketed the gold as she pushed the door open.

"Rithleen and Tyermaillin," Caius replied. "Now, have a nice day!" he shoved her unceremoniously out the door and slammed it shut behind her.

"Sheesh," Ravyn muttered, as she got to her feet and rubbed her back. "He didn't have to push me! I was leaving, ya geezer!" after another rude gesture towards his door, she stepped out into the street and glanced to the left and right. "Uh, two doors down which way?" she spotted a two story house just to the left of her and decided she'd try there first.

No sooner had she knocked on the upstairs door then it swung open and a dark skinned woman peeked out. "What do you want?" she demanded. "Don't you know what time it is?" the dawn sun had barely graced the horizon, and the city was still quiet.

"Blame Caius." Ravyn mumbled in reply. The skooma was wearing off a bit, and she could feel her body slowly coming down from it's high. The redguard seemed to sense her eminent collapse, or explosion, and quickly ushered her inside.

"You must be the new Blade central command sent over here." Rithleen said as she led Ravyn to a back room completely stocked with weapons. "I suppose Caius sent you over here to show me what you've got?"

"Sure." Ravyn replied, drawing her twin daggers with a cheeky flourish. "I'm sure you warrior types know a lot about traditional fighting, but I learned what I know on the streets!"

"Oh really now?" Rithleen's low voice was amused as she drew a long sword from one of her weapons racks, swinging it in a few practice passes before dropping into a fighting stance. "Care to prove it, city girl?"

"You wish, lady!" Ravyn cried as she leapt at the other woman, blades flashing in the lamplight as her skilled hands sought an opening.

Almost from the beginning, Rithleen noticed the incredible power with which the girl's blows were landing; yet they seemed to lack any rhyme or reason. _The skooma._ She snarled inwardly, cursing the creators of the insidious drug and Ravyn's obvious intoxication. She blocked another predictable blow and decided to quickly turn the tables before the girl had a heart attack and died on her training room floor. Once, twice, three times her sword struck, demolishing Ravyn's defenses and disarming her neatly.

"Heh," the dunmer girl's laughter was slightly unhinged, her crimson eyes dull and out of focus. "Looks like I lost, old lady. It's weird," she continued, staring down at the four hands floating where there were once two. "I had so much energy…before." Rithleen caught as she fell and helped her to the king sized bed in the front room.

"Go to sleep, kid. You'll be ok later in the morning." Ravyn nodded and was soon fast asleep.

Rithleen chose not to leave the girl alone, and instead sharpened her blades as she watched the young dunmer girl sleep. _What're you thinking, Caius,_ she thought as the girl rolled over and snuggled closer to her pillow. _Using drugs to control a girl as young as she. What happened to honor and dignity while serving the Empire? What are the Blades to become if we fall to such depths to complete our duty?_

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Ravyn awoke later that morning and found herself alone in Rithleen's house, the redguard woman nowhere in sight. "Hello?" she called out, sitting up in bed and stretching. "Anyone home?" no one replied, so she shrugged and went about the business of morning cleanup.

Half an hour later, and an apple nicked from her host's stores, and Ravyn was ready to go see the world. As she picked up her haversack, she noticed a small package sitting atop a piece of parchment. _I wonder…_ she mused as she opened the letter.

_Ravyn,_

_Enclosed in this package is three months' worth of skooma and a brand new pipe. Cheers! I wouldn't recommend mixing it with the skooma native to this island, though of course you are free to do as you will. Just know that the last person who tried it had a horrible reaction, leaving him half paralyzed for the rest of his life. Remember; come see me when you feel comfortable enough with living on your own in the island._

_Caius Casades_

"All right!" Ravyn tucked the skooma and pipe into her bag and left the house as she found it. "Looks like people in this place aren't as stiff as I feared!" with a smile on her face, Ravyn skipped down the stairs and hurried over the bridge to the other side of town and the guild district.

Upon reaching the square she'd found the night before, the dunmer girl took a quick look around before spotting an orc heading in her direction. _Maybe he'll know where the fighters' guild is!_ She thought as she ran up to the green skinned man.

"Hey you!" Ravyn called with a wave. "Can you tell me where the fighters guild is?"

**A/N:** all right, that was the second part of chapter one. Was it ok? It's really hard writing a fic for something as broad as Morrowind. Definitely harder than writing for Kotor or Neverwinter nights! Anyways, I hope you liked it, and eagerly await the reviews as I prepare to post the next two parts!


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